The restaurant-chain Culver’s has long supported the role of agriculture in creating a better world. To help in that mission, Culver’s has become the latest company to join the Decade of Ag movement, a broad collaborative effort facilitated by U.S. Farmers & Ranchers in Action.
The Decade of Ag is the first food and agriculture sector-wide movement to create a shared vision for a resilient, restorative, economically viable, and climate-smart agricultural system that produces abundant and nutritious food, natural fiber, and clean energy for a sustainable, vibrant and prosperous America The movement takes place as emerging science has demonstrated there is an achievable path for U.S. agriculture to become carbon negative — but it will take unified thinking and investment.
To accomplish that, farmers, ranchers and food and agriculture stakeholders like Culver’s are focused on advancing the Decade of Ag vision in four outcome areas through individual and collective commitments:
- Restoring our environment through agriculture that regenerates natural resources
- Revitalizing our collective appreciation for agriculture
- Investing in the next generation of agricultural systems
- Strengthening the social and economic fabric of America through agriculture
Wisconsin-based Culver’s joins other agricultural-centric companies, including the Danforth Center, Corteva Agriscience, Bayer, Cargill, Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, the Nature Conservancy, and various state farm bureaus and crop boards. In all, USFRA says more than 200 ag leaders have signed on to this sustainability vision that was launched early in 2021.
Culver’s has brought — and will continue to bring — momentum to the movement through its Thank You Farmers Project. Since its creation in 2013, the program has allowed Culver’s and its guests to show appreciation for farmers and the role of agriculture in securing the nation’s food supply. The program also provides support for agriculture education in the ongoing mission to grow the next generation of agricultural leaders. The Thank You Farmers Project has raised over $3 million to date.
The case for food and agriculture to become the first U.S. economic sector to become carbon negative is promising, as emerging science has shown an achievable path. Doing so would contribute notably to the UN Sustainable Development Goals related to climate change and other global challenges, as shown in a 2020 report published by USFRA.
But more collaboration, partnerships and investment are needed to accelerate progress and make meaningful impact in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In large part, this means co-creating and partnering with farmers on economic resiliency and investment in the future, advancing science, data, technology and innovation at scale.
